3rd person zero in verbal person marking: subjects

Category
Simple Clauses - Pronouns and person marking
Notes
3rd person subjects are not overtly marked within the verbal person-marking system

Languages

Language Feature Status Grammatical Notes Source Etymology Notes General Notes Phylogenetic Code
Cahuilla yes
Cupeño no
Luiseño yes
Serrano yes
Kitanemuk no
Kawaiisu no
Timbisha yes
Western Mono yes
Chemehuevi yes
Southern Paiute yes
Southern Ute yes
Shoshone yes
Comanche yes
Idaho Shoshone yes
Northern Paiute yes
Gabrielino yes
Achagua no Wilson & Levinsohn 1992: 28
Resígaro no No person marking, only pronominal clitics. Allin, 1976: 105, 124, 204, 212
Bare no Aikhenvald, 1995: 27
Piapoco no Galindo, 2002: 158-159
Yukuna no Shauer & Shauer 2000: 297, Shauer & Shauer, 1978: p. 42
Yavitero yes Masculine third-person, but not feminine. Mosonyi, 1987: p. 41, 60
Wapishana no Santos 2006
Wayuu no Mansen & Captain, 2000: p. 798
Tariana no Aikhenvald, 2003: 122
Apurinã no 3rd person masculine is phonemcally /i-/, but sometimes surfaces phonetically as ø. Facundes, 2000: 141-145
Asheninka Apurucayali yes Zero when the subject is not specified; not an obligatory rule. Payne 1983:2025
Maipure yes only the non-referential 3rd person Zamponi 2003:21-26
Yanesha' yes Third person singular is zero case-marked; third person plural is marked by a verbal suffix Duff-Tripp 1997:72
Kinikinau no info
Baure no Danielsen 2007:95
Nanti no Michael, 2008. p. 267
Paresi yes This is true for 3s but it seems that 3pl has a marking. However, this marking of 3pl seems to be just a plural marker. Brandão 2010:18
Palikur no Launey 2003
Yine no Wise 1986:586
Añun no 3rd person subject sg. Masc., sg. Non-masc, pl. respectively Patte 1989:46
Bora yes Seifart - 2005:52
Makiritare no Escoriaza 1959:15
Makushi no Abbott 1991: 101 See chart
Eñepa no Payne 2012 :234-239
Pemon no First person singular in intransitive sentences can be zero-marked de Armellada 1999:16-7
Guna no Smith texts no person marking
Naso no Quesada 2000
Ika yes Except for third person plural which are optionally marked on the verb Frank 1989:20
Kogi yes Stendal 1976:5
Cabecar yes But notice that subject or objects are not cross marked on the verb Margery 1985:103
Guaymí yes But this is because there are no person markers on the verb whatsoever Quesada 2008:99
Damana no
Sikuani yes Queixalós 2000: 575-576
Macaguan yes Must be marked in object is ø. Buenaventura - 1993:43-46
Aguaruna no Overall 2007:328-31, 361-5 However, 3rd person can be zero-marked in some instacnes depending on TAM while 1st and 2nd are always marked
Northern Emberá yes But notice that any person in subject or object position is marked on the verb Mortensen 1999:16, 59 Catío
Waorani no info
Ingá yes Levinson 1974:9
Matses yes But only in the non-past tense. In the past tense, there is a 3 person subject agreement marker in the verb Fleck:445
Mapudungun no Core participant verbal suffixes are fusional. So, they may convey other maenings as well. Zúñiga 2006, p. 104-7
Páez no Jung:74-7
Quechua Ayacuchano yes Parker 1965:23
Tikuna no 3rd person subjects are cross-referenced in the verb Montes 2004b:122-123
Urarina no Olawsky:489
Waunana no Verbal person markers distinguish between first person and non-first person Mejía 2000:90
Andoke no Landaburu 1979: 212-215
Puinave no Giron 2008: p206
Central Aymara no Huayhua Pari 2001: 126
Kakua no subjects must be marked on verb construction, even if 3rd person Bolaños fieldnotes
Kaingang no no person inflection Goncalves 2011
Minica Witoto no Minor and Minor 1982. p.78-80 there may be some exceptions for negatives, check p.73
Nadëb/Roçado dialect yes Weir 1984
Dâw no Martins 2004
Desano no Miller 1999, p. 125
Cubeo no they can be marked or not marked, usually marked Morse & Maxwell 1999, p. 40
Kotiria no Stenzel 2007
Makuna no Smothermon & Smothermon 1993, p.45-47 no info/not expected
Koreguaje no Cook & Criswell 1993, p.91
Barasano no Jones & Jones 1991, p.108
Tanimuca no Strom 1992, p.116
Siona yes Subjects are not marked verbally overall. Wheeler - 1987:124-133
Tukano no marked as part of tense/evidential/person marking system West and Welch 2004: 10-11; Ramirez 1997: 120
Yanomami no ergative 3rd person will be marked, an inversion morpheme is required between a 1st or 2nd person absolutive (which must always be marked 1st on the verb) and a 3rd person ergative Ramirez 1994
Ninam yes these can be marked, but don't need to be Goodwin-Gomez: 47
Sanumá yes can be included or omitted, but are often omitted Borgman 1990: 39
Surui no Van der Meer (?):9
Karitiana yes Based on examples Everett 2006:343-57
Nheengatu no Cruz 2011
Paraguayan Guaraní no Ayala 1996:28-9, 46-7
Aché no info
Kokama no Vallejos 2010
Nyangumarta no 0
Jingulu no 0
Wambaya no 0
Bunuba yes 1
Walmajarri yes 1
Nyulnyul no 0
Warrwa no 0
Worrorra no 28-30 0
Garrwa n/a 0
Gooniyandi yes 1
Warlpiri yes 1
Bardi no 0
Yugambeh
Yorta Yorta no 83 0
Yir Yoront
Yindjibarndi n/a 0
Yidiny N/A 0
Yanyuwa no 106 0
Yandruwandha n/a 0
Yan-nhangu
Yalarnnga n/a 36-50 0
Woiwurrung no 74 0
Wirangu N/A 0
Wemba-Wemba yes H 41 1
Warumungu No 28-29 0
Wangkumara no info X
Uradhi N/A 352 0
Paakantyi no 128, 149 0
Pitta-Pitta N/A 0
Pintupi yes 15; 114-115 1
Nyungar no info x
Nhanta yes 122 1
Ngiyambaa no 0
Ngayawang N/A 0
Muruwari no 0
Mpakwithi
Mayi-Yapi N/A 55-60 0
Martuthunira yes 136-152 1
Marrgany N/A 0
Kuuk Thaayorre No 215 0
Kuku Yalanji n/a 0
Kugu-Nganhcara yes 399 1
Kaurna N/A 16 0
Kalkatungu yes 32 1
Jaru yes 1
Guugu-Yimidhirr N/A 0
Gureng Gureng no info x
Gupapuyngu
Gumbaynggirr n/a 0
Gugu-Badhun n/a 0
Yuwaalaraay No 51 0
Dyirbal N/A 0
Duungidjawu n/a 0
Djinang Yes 139 1
Djabugay
Diyari no 0
Dharuk
Dharawal yes 51 1
Darkinyung maybe 36 1
Bularnu n/a 0
Biri n/a 0
Bidjara-Gungabula n/a 0
Batyala no info x
Arabana n/a 0
Alyawarr yes 1
Nyikina no 0
Yawuru
Ngarinyin
Yulparija Yes 30 1
Wathawurrung no 78 0
Mathi-Mathi no 0
Hunter River and Lake Macquarie no 45 0
Thanggati n/a 0
Katthang n/a 0
Panyjima n/a 169 0
Ngarinyeri No 43 0
Kurrama n/a 0
Yingkarta no 0
Githabul N/A 15 0
Gunya No 304 0
Kunjen N/A 92 0
WesternTorres yes K85c 82 1
Wakaya no 0
Yindjilindji n/a 0
Bandjalang N/A 0
Ngaatjatjara yes 52 1
Arrernte N/A 186 0
Kokatha N/A 3 0
Karajarri Yes 227 1
Pitjantjatjara Yes Y 22 1
Ritharrngu No 45 0
Warrgamay N/A 45 0
Warluwarra no 0
Warnman Yes 33 1
Djapu n/a 0
Bilinarra n/a 0
Wiradjuri no info x
Aghu-Tharnggala No 67 0
Narungga No 74 0
Tharrkari N/A 16 0
Wajarri Yes 77 1
Warungu yes 253-61 1
Adnyamathanha
Yagua no Payne and Payne 1990:361
Baniwa no Ramirez 2001